Veteran Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 42. Mishra shared his decision on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, bringing his 25-year-long journey to an end.
Amit Mishra, one of India’s most consistent classic leg break bowlers who made his international debut back in 2003, played his first One Day International match against South Africa. He started his Test career in 2008 with a five-wicket haul against Australia in Mohali. Over the years, he represented India in 22 Test matches, 36 ODIs and 10 T20Is, claiming crucial wickets across all formats.
“These 25 years of my life in cricket have been nothing short of memorable,” Amit Mishra said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to the BCCI, the administration, Haryana Cricket Association, the support staff, my colleagues and to my family members who were with me all this time. I would like to thank the fans whose love and support, whenever and wherever I played, made the journey memorable. Cricket has given me countless memories and invaluable learnings, and each moment on the ground has been a memory I’ll treasure for life,” he added.
Amit Mishra last featured in Indian Colours in 2017. But he continued to shine in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until 2024. He represented Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, SunRisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in IPL throughout the years. Mishra still remains the only bowler in the history of IPL to claim three hat-tricks. He finishes his career with 166 wickets with an average of 23.98 and with an economy of 7.36.
In domestic cricket, the Haryana cricketer holds an impressive record of 535 first-class wickets, along with 252 wickets in List A cricket and 285 wickets in T20S.
As Amit Mishra announced his retirement, the current head coach of Team India, Gautam Gambhir, who once shared the dressing room with him, wrote a heartfelt message on social media, “Congratulations on a wonderful career, Mishi! Every time you picked the ball, there was magic waiting to happen!” Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra also congratulated Amit Mishra on his decision, saying, “Mishra ji, congratulations on an illustrious career in cricket. Welcome to the other side, my friend!”
As Amit Mishra drew the curtain on his playing career, he expressed his intent to remain connected to the sport through coaching, commentary or mentoring young talents. He said that he will also engage with fans through different social media platforms and YouTube.
